Syntheses,characterization, and structures of three ruthenium complexes containing two monodentate dppm ligands

Three cis-Ru(dppm)₂XY complexes (XY?=?C₂O₄, 1; X?=?Cl, Y?=?N₃, 2; X?=?Y?=?N₃, 3) were prepared by reactions of cis-Ru(dppm)₂Cl₂ with (NH₄)₂C₂O₄, a mixture of NaN₃ and NaPF₆, and only NaN₃, respectively, while 3 could also be obtained from further reaction of 2 with NaN₃ undergoing a facile chloride abstraction. All complexes have been characterized by IR, NMR, UV–vis, and luminescence spectroscopic analyses as well as X-ray diffraction studies. Of these structures, 1 shows oxalate coordinates to Ru as a chelating ligand, while 2 displays Ru and azide linear, and 3 gives two azide groups cis to each other, which are different from two substituting ligands commonly lying in trans positions in Ru(P–P)₂ complexes by using cis-Ru(dppm)₂Cl₂ as a precursor.